The Third Hokage Set His Sights on Uchiha Cong!

"Uchiha Cong, the interrogation is yours. Don't disappoint me."

Xuanye left those words behind and turned to leave, finding even another glance at the Raikage on the ground a nuisance.

Uchiha Cong had some potential.

He might love sucking up and have a bizarre way of thinking, but awakening the Mangekyō in a desperate situation today proved he had some ability.

Still, that power needed proper honing.

Xuanye also wanted to observe him up close and see whether the Uchiha Clan's hereditary potential for insanity would manifest in him.

Of course, his main reason for dumping the work on his underling was that he hadn't forgotten his primary purpose in returning to headquarters:

Clocking out.

He had plans to go shopping and moon-gazing with Uzuki Yugao from the Anbu tonight.

The life of the strong was often just that plain, unadorned, and dull.

All he cared about was living comfortably each day.

As for how those old men at the top schemed against one another, or who occupied the Hokage's seat, he wasn't even interested in getting involved.

But then again...

With all the major moves he had made as Police Force Captain, stealing the spotlight every day, Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan Head who had kept hiding in his shell, should be getting restless by now, shouldn't he?

"Mm, I'll have to find time another day to visit Sister-in-law Mikoto at the clan head's house."

Xuanye rubbed his chin, silently planning his schedule.

Back on the battlefields of the Third Shinobi World War, he had personally carried the gravely wounded Uchiha Fugaku out of a pile of corpses.

That very injury had left the clan head with a private ailment, making him increasingly incapable in certain areas and reliant on traditional herbal medicine every day.

As a conscientious Police Force Captain, easing his immediate superior's burdens and helping look after his sister-in-law, left alone in her bedroom, was clearly part of his rightful duties.

"Ah, I'm so busy every single day. All of Konoha would fall apart without me."

Xuanye shook his head and sighed.

Inside the office in the Hokage Building.

A slender figure knelt on one knee, delivering a routine report in a calm voice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his high-backed chair, puffing away at his pipe, his brow deeply furrowed and his expression shifting.

"You're saying Uchiha Genya just casually handed the top-secret mission of interrogating the Raikage to that small fry, Uchiha Cong?"

As Konoha's supreme ruler.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had an intense desire for control, urgently wanting to know about every little development in the village.

Especially after a disturbance as serious as today's beating of the Raikage, he had to ascertain the Konoha Military Police Force's actual internal movements immediately.

But Uchiha Genya had made the Konoha Military Police Force utterly impenetrable.

To obtain internal intelligence, he could only rely on the triple agent before him, who had infiltrated the enemy's ranks.

Thus, despite knowing that summoning his undercover agent now risked exposing him, Hiruzen Sarutobi had still called Uchiha Itachi over.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Uchiha Itachi kept his head lowered, his voice utterly flat:

"Although I was promoted to deputy captain of the third squad today, I'm still in the observation and learning phase. A core secret like interrogating the Raikage is not something I can get involved in yet."

"Tell me exactly what you do in the Konoha Military Police Force each day. Leave out no detail," Hiruzen Sarutobi commanded gravely, exhaling smoke.

Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath and began describing his daily life of "untold suffering" in the Konoha Military Police Force in detail.

"Every morning, Instructor Might Guy leads all members through intensive physical training while chanting slogans."

"After morning training, the boy named 'Tree' forcibly drags me to the public bathhouse to scrub each other's backs."

"He claims to be Captain Xuanye and Lady Tsunade's illegitimate son, yet affectionately calls Captain Xuanye his brother-in-law at every turn. Because of my strength and status, I cannot refuse his enthusiasm and am forced to comply."

At this point, Uchiha Itachi turned exceptionally pale. His body shuddered uncontrollably, and he even instinctively glanced down at his crotch.

"After bathing comes the unchanging daily street patrol."

Uchiha Itachi suppressed his grief and indignation and continued his report.

"Nominally, we patrol to maintain public order. In reality, our main job is collecting monthly protection fees from the businesses along the streets."

"But what baffles me is how remarkably pleasant the merchants are when paying. They even take the initiative to give Police Force members fruit and snacks. Not only do they seem unopposed to paying this extra fee, they actually consider it perfectly reasonable."

Uchiha Itachi could not make sense of this no matter how hard he tried.

Konoha's merchants already paid hefty commercial taxes to the village and should have been protected by the Anbu directly under the Hokage.

"During the lunch break, the squad captains gather for a meeting."

"But what they call a meeting is actually gathering to play poker, brag, and share their shopping experiences."

"For example, at noon today, several squad captains took turns lavishly praising Uchiha Cong for awakening the Mangekyō. To fit in with the group as quickly as possible, I joined in with a few flattering remarks."

Uchiha Itachi delivered his report methodically.

"In the afternoon, there is a second training session for all personnel. Captain Xuanye personally supervises it and calls it an 'obedience test.' It includes formation coordination, tactical maneuvers, and training to hold all sorts of bizarre poses."

"If no emergencies occur in the evening, everyone clocks out on time. There is absolutely no overtime."

At this point, Uchiha Itachi paused, frowned slightly, and looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi:

"Lord Hokage, forgive my bluntness."

"I have been undercover in the Konoha Military Police Force for some time, but I believe this infiltration serves no purpose. Although its internal operations may seem lax and unrestrained, there are no secret plots threatening the village's safety whatsoever."

Yes.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi had originally forced Uchiha Itachi to go undercover, his justification had been that "the Uchiha Clan harbors treacherous intentions, and the Konoha Military Police Force may be plotting against the village leadership."

Yet up until now, not only had Uchiha Itachi seen no heinous deeds committed by the Konoha Military Police Force, he had personally witnessed them step forward time and again to defend the village's interests. Today, they had even beaten the insufferably arrogant Raikage senseless at the village gates, bringing Konoha tremendous prestige!

"Heh, young man, your view of things is still far too shallow."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled dismissively, took a deep drag on his pipe, and blew a thick cloud of smoke straight into Uchiha Itachi's face.

Was this retaliation?

Revenge for Uchiha Itachi "thinking from the Hokage's perspective" at the village gates today and publicly exposing the lie about the threat of war, leaving him humiliated?

Uchiha Itachi coughed repeatedly from the smoke, but could only endure the discomfort and silently suffer the Third Hokage's secondhand smoke.

Although some people in the Konoha Military Police Force smoked, Captain Xuanye had specifically established a smoking room with ventilation equipment and never allowed anyone to puff away in shared office areas.

"The reason you think nothing is wrong is that you're still only a peripheral figure. You have no access whatsoever to the core secrets Uchiha Genya keeps hidden deepest!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand, looking utterly confident. "Continue your infiltration and remain vigilant. If there are any major operations, I will send the Anbu to contact you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not even be bothered to listen to the Konoha Military Police Force's daily rules and regulations or the details of its protection fee collections.

Yet those very "rules" he arrogantly ignored were the true foundation upon which Uchiha Genya controlled the Konoha Military Police Force and established absolute authority!

Since the Third Hokage hadn't asked, Uchiha Itachi naturally wouldn't volunteer an explanation.

Not only did he offer no explanation, Uchiha Itachi actually let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.

"Yes, Lord Hokage. I'll take my leave."

Uchiha Itachi rose, saluted, then turned and left the Hokage's Office.

"The infiltration is ineffective? Heh, I've landed a big fish today!"

After Uchiha Itachi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his wrinkle-lined eyes, took out a writing brush, and forcefully wrote a name on the white paper on his desk.

Uchiha Cong!

That small fry who had previously been worth less than a fart in his eyes.

Now, however, he had become the key to Hiruzen Sarutobi breaking the deadlock!

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed away at his pipe, a cold, sinister gleam flashing in his eyes.

There was absolutely no mistaking it!

That eerie pattern flashing in Uchiha Cong's pupils when he had displayed his might at the village gates today!

It was the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan!

The forbidden eyes that stood above the ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan and possessed devastating power!

Even Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan's current head, did not publicly possess eyes of that level!

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know that Uchiha Fugaku had secretly awakened those eyes back during the Third Shinobi World War, but had kept them hidden all this time because of his cowardly nature.

A key figure who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, had just established his might, and was now leading the interrogation of the Fourth Raikage!

If he could turn this pawn, Uchiha Cong, he could tear a fatal breach in Uchiha Genya's monolithic Konoha Military Police Force!

"Mm, but before formally trying to win him over, I'll have to probe his background and loyalty a little."

Hiruzen Sarutobi considered it inwardly, then spoke gravely to the empty office:

"Someone, come."

Whoosh!

A dark figure appeared out of thin air before the desk. The elite Anbu wearing an animal mask knelt on one knee, awaiting the Hokage's instructions.

"Go take care of something immediately..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his voice and issued a secret mission.